A friend with dogs and kids sent me one of those “Been there, done that” emails. It read:
Life really boils down to two essential questions.
1. Should I get a dog? Or…
2. Should I have children?
I’d have to say on behalf of those of us who have “been there and done that,” having a dog first definitely helps to develop important skills you’ll need later as a parent. At the very least, there’s a good likelihood your dog will destroy enough of your furniture so that you won’t care when your kids come along and finish off the rest. :)
Who was it who says kids and pets need adult supervision.
Otherwise, they take every opportunity to improvise play.
Ah, if only we adults took every opportunity to play… : )
Dogs or children, what’s the difference? They are both adorable, cute, fun to play with, and of course messy. Just don’t clean up, or at least forget about the idea of being spotless.
Sayumi, I couldn’t agree more! Letting go of a need to have everything be in tip-top shape is one of the major keys to enjoying both my dogs and my kids. And we’re all a lot happier for it!
Thanks for visiting.
Has your friend heard of the websites Sh!t my Kids/Pets Ruined? Our dog basically ate our house…my girls were kinder on the furniture than the dog was…so go with the kid first :)
Meredith, thanks, I’ll forward the site. It sounds hilarious. Ditto with my dogs and my kids. Still, the wear and tear really helps you let go of material things… : )
What’s that saying? “Life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies.” :)
I’d think this was a lot funnier if I didn’t know how true it was. ;)
Whether dogs or kids, it’s all in the training. Ya gotta do the work. There’s just no way around it.
But, wait a minute. that’s a Terrier? I take it back. The above is true except for terriers. Those buggers are nearly impossible to train.